0:00:03 > 0:00:09If you're critically ill or seriously injured in a place like this,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12there's only one thing that can save you, and that's speed.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15It doesn't matter where you are, this helicopter,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18with its highly trained team of pilots and paramedics,
0:00:18 > 0:00:22will fly to your rescue at two-and-a-half miles a minute.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26These are Yorkshire's helicopter heroes.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50When the people of England's biggest county dial 999,
0:00:50 > 0:00:53there's a good chance help will come from the skies.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is ready to scramble 365 days a year,
0:00:58 > 0:01:02and each one brings a new life or death emergency.
0:01:02 > 0:01:07Today on Helicopter Heroes, a little girl's knocked down on the way home from school.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09- Daddy.- Your daddy's here.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Look at the helicopter.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12It's a big yellow one.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16There's a freak accident in a garage and a mechanic needs help.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21He's fallen face down. He's complaining of facial and chest injuries.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26- This man's having a heart attack and the team face a fight for his life in midair.- OK, mate.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Just bear with it, a couple of minutes.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31- All right?- Yeah.- Not too tight?
0:01:31 > 0:01:35And I'm on the wrong end of a mountain rescue high in the Peak District.
0:01:40 > 0:01:46When you're a paramedic, every job you deal with is potentially a matter of life and death.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Of course, not all cases are that serious, but when a car hits a child
0:01:50 > 0:01:54the Helimed team know that their skills are going to be critical.
0:01:54 > 0:02:01There's been a road accident in the village of Carthorpe in North Yorkshire.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03A six-year-old female has been knocked down by a car.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07She's got an open fracture of her lower leg.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Helimed 99 is on the case.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13The crew know that cases involving children can be difficult.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16They've a different toleration to pain.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Being a five-year-old, he's probably more aware of what's going on,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22but sometimes they're not aware that, you know,
0:02:22 > 0:02:26you might have to put a needle in their arm and it's going to hurt.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30And small children in great pain aren't able to describe their injuries.
0:02:30 > 0:02:36The paramedics must get their diagnosis absolutely right, as Paul Bradbury knows only too well.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Yeah, it's all... It all depends on how fast the car's travelling,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42whereabouts on the body the child's been hit.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47The thing is with children, they tend to "go off" rather quickly, so one minute
0:02:47 > 0:02:49they can be fine and talking to us
0:02:49 > 0:02:53and the next minute, they can be going downhill quite quickly.
0:02:53 > 0:03:00Little Emma Baines was walking home from school with her mum when she ran into the road. She's badly hurt.
0:03:00 > 0:03:07Her mum, Lindsey, dialled 999 and a ground ambulance crew was quickly on the scene, but they had it easy.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Pilot Andy Figg has to find a place to put down
0:03:09 > 0:03:12three tonnes of helicopter in the heart of the village.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17Just going over the trees now. I'll just keep an eye on watching the gardens and the houses.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Keep a good look out for small wires, please.
0:03:21 > 0:03:28Even a phone line can spell disaster for Helimed 99, so Paul's taking no chances with the lookout.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31The accident happened outside the family's home.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Their back garden just isn't big enough to be a helipad.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36- I'm happy this side, Simon, if you are.- I'm happy this side.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40But there's a field beyond it that might just do the trick.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43The trouble is, it's surrounded by trees.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Coming into this next field. Happy with that? Wires on the left-hand side of it.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Andy flew Lynx assault helicopters for the Army before taking this job.
0:03:51 > 0:03:57Now his flying skills are being used to save lives if he can only get the Helimed crew down.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02At last, he's done it.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06Emma's dad was working from home when he heard a scream.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11- I was just inside and they were going off to the school run and she had her by the hand.- Right.
0:04:11 > 0:04:17And for whatever reason, kids are kids, she suddenly pulled and ran out and there was a car just drove past.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20A typical scenario. A kid steps out between two cars.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23His daughter's an hour from hospital by road.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27It's time that could be more critical than the crew realised.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Hello! Don't cry. You'll get me going.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Are you all right? Is it Emma?
0:04:32 > 0:04:37Do you want to go and have a fly in a helicopter with your mummy, eh?
0:04:37 > 0:04:42The passing car was only travelling slowly, less than 20 miles an hour.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46- She ran out the front.- She's come that side or...? Yeah?- Yeah.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50So, she was running out and you've caught her.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52- Yeah.- That's round the bumper? Yeah.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56The damage to the vehicle and the account of the shocked driver
0:04:56 > 0:05:00could give Paul vital clues to Emma's injuries and how best to treat them.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04What happened to the little girl? Did she go onto the ground and then...?
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- Yes.- Yeah. Did she stay there till the ambulance came, or...?
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- No, the mother's came and... - Took her in.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13- Took her and put her onto the floor over there, yeah.- Are you all right?
0:05:13 > 0:05:16- Yeah.- Other than shook up. All right.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21Emma? Emma, can you do me a favour? Can you wiggle your toes for me?
0:05:21 > 0:05:23- Can you move these toes? - Can you wiggle them?
0:05:23 > 0:05:27- No.- Does that hurt too much? - Yeah. All right.
0:05:27 > 0:05:34The impact has smashed Emma's leg so badly, part of her tibia, the main bone in her lower leg, is missing.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Surgeons will have to reconstruct her leg,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39and the sooner that happens, the better her outlook will be.
0:05:45 > 0:05:50Coming up, only speed and a surgeon can save little Emma's leg.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53That much bone has shattered and come out. Hopefully,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55they can reattach the bone back to the leg.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58The team land on a village green to rescue a heart patient,
0:05:58 > 0:06:03and up in the Peak District, there's a high altitude emergency.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- All right, we need somewhere to land.- OK, just to the left, mate.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Now, some jobs are more dangerous than others.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18When I was a copper, I used to have one, and these guys do too, but sometimes, danger lurks
0:06:18 > 0:06:24in the most seemingly innocent of workplaces, especially when it involves a hole in the ground.
0:06:24 > 0:06:31Helimed 99 is touching down almost as soon as it's taken off today, less than a mile from its base.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36In his dad's garage, 19-year-old Matthew Duffield has fallen
0:06:36 > 0:06:40head-first into a six foot deep MOT inspection pit.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42He's not moved since the accident happened.
0:06:42 > 0:06:47Face down, facial injuries, query fractured legs.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52Paramedics Pat Greakin and Sammy Wills are trained to deal with all-sorts of situations,
0:06:52 > 0:06:58but this job is going to put all their skills and years of experience to the test.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00- This is Matthew.- Hello, Matthew.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04- He's fallen from above there, broken his fall with his hands and hit his head.- Yeah, yeah.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09- He's complaining of pain in the left side of his head.- Yeah. - Pain in his chest.- Yeah.
0:07:09 > 0:07:15- Hip pain, around his pelvic area. - Yeah.- And pain to his left leg.- Yeah. - And right arm, here in this area.
0:07:15 > 0:07:21Falls like this are serious and over 50 people died last year after falling while at work.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Matthew's landed on his head, but a potential head injury
0:07:25 > 0:07:28is not the only reason why Sammy looks concerned.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31She's worried Matthew could also have damaged his neck and spine.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- Can you feel me touching?- Yeah. - Whereabouts am I?
0:07:34 > 0:07:39- Over towards my ankles.- Yeah. Both legs.- Yeah.- Have you got any pain in your legs at all?
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Just where I've grazed my leg.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46- OK. You haven't got any pins and needles?- In my hand, my hand here.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48- OK.- Which I'm leaning on.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Matthew's dad, David, saw his son fall and is understandably distressed.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57He's taken all the right safety precautions to prevent accidents like this happening,
0:07:57 > 0:08:01but all he can do now is wait to hear the full extent of his son's injuries.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04- So, it's you chest that hurts most. - I smashed my face.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- Do you know if he was knocked out at all?- No, apparently not.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- If you take a deep breath, does that hurt?- Yeah.
0:08:10 > 0:08:11He's fallen face down.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16He's complaining of facial and chest injuries, and we're not too sure
0:08:16 > 0:08:19about his legs, whether he's broken his legs or not.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23It's difficult to get into him because he's right up against the back wall,
0:08:23 > 0:08:28so we're going to see if we can get him a little bit more stable, a little bit more comfortable,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32then have a check of him and make sure there's no serious injuries.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36I'm going to pop this collar around your neck, Matthew.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Try not to move your head. Just let me control it.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43The narrow pit is a less than ideal place to examine a patient, but paramedics Sammy and Pat
0:08:43 > 0:08:48must now work out how they're going to move Matthew without making his injuries any worse.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Can you get the board down here as we walk him along it? That might work really well.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- Walk him along it? - If we slide him along.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Yeah, slide him on the board.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Keep sucking on that, Matthew, because it wears off
0:09:00 > 0:09:04and it takes a little while for it to work properly as well.
0:09:04 > 0:09:10Now, then, I've got the fire service on their so they can help us lift you out of here, all right?
0:09:10 > 0:09:14- Because that's my other challenge. - How you doing, mate?
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Sammy and Pat are more used to using the skills of the Fire Brigade
0:09:17 > 0:09:19to prise patients from their wrecked cars,
0:09:19 > 0:09:24but getting Matthew out safely is going to be a more delicate operation.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27What we're going to try and do is put the board here
0:09:27 > 0:09:34and slowly lift him as he is onto the board, then try and do a complete 180 onto the board.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39One of the first skills you learn as a paramedic is the importance of immobilisation.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43Even small movements to an injured neck or spine can cause more damage
0:09:43 > 0:09:47and, in the worst cases, can cause paralysis.
0:09:47 > 0:09:53Matthew is still lying face down on the hard concrete floor, but the time has come to move him.
0:09:53 > 0:10:00The seriousness of Mathew's injuries and the length of his recovery will all depend on what the team do next.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06One, two, three, lift.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Coming up, the mechanic's rescue starts and there's a problem.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13- I'm scared of needles. - Are you scared of needles?
0:10:13 > 0:10:16- Yeah.- It's OK. We're not going to put a needle in you just yet.
0:10:16 > 0:10:22Five-year-old Emma could lose her leg and her parents know it.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24How long can they keep a brave face?
0:10:26 > 0:10:31Would you trust your life to a few pieces of rope? I'm not sure I do.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34The chap's been climbing, come off the route here.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40When you live in a city,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42you may think the UK is wall-to-wall concrete, but it's not.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46When you see it from up here, you realise we live in a pretty green country.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50You don't have to be far off the beaten track for a relatively minor emergency
0:10:50 > 0:10:55to turn into something more complicated and potentially life-threatening.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59The picturesque village of Thornton Watlass in North Yorkshire
0:10:59 > 0:11:03is the perfect place to get away from the noise and stress of urban life,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06but if something goes wrong, living in this rural paradise
0:11:06 > 0:11:12also means you're miles from the nearest hospital, and that's where the Helimed team come in.
0:11:12 > 0:11:17One of the villagers is having chest pains and there's concern he could be having a heart attack.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22This condition is relatively straightforward to treat in hospital, but patients
0:11:22 > 0:11:25must get to specialist care quickly.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29That's why in remote districts like this, heart attacks can be fatal.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32We've been despatched up to a detail in North Yorkshire,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36a patient that I've spoke to on the phone who's had chest pain
0:11:36 > 0:11:38for approximately an hour.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40It seems to have got worse.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44He's fitted the criteria for us to actually despatch and go out to him.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49Chest pain radiating down his left arm, didn't feel well, felt nauseous.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53With any heart attack, time really is of the essence.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55The quicker we can get him to definitive care at Leeds,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57then the better chance there is
0:11:57 > 0:12:00of a better outcome long-term for the patient.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Quite a bank of cloud ahead just coming. Can you see it, yeah?
0:12:03 > 0:12:08At 150 miles an hour, the 20-mile trip will take less than 10 minutes,
0:12:08 > 0:12:13but there's a problem, which means Helimed 99 may never reach its patient.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Yeah, the weather is quite bad out here.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18We don't have much visibility, quite a low cloud base.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21We're not going to be able to route direct to the incident.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24The ground to the north gets higher for us.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26It starts climbing the further north we get.
0:12:26 > 0:12:32The plan is to head out to the east and get to the Vale of York and basically track the A1 up.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34'York Control. Helimed, go ahead, over.'
0:12:34 > 0:12:39This is so frustrating for the crew, but flying into that could be dangerous
0:12:39 > 0:12:43and many of the UK's other Air Ambulances are grounded.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46The weather is quite poor at the moment, so there is a possibility
0:12:46 > 0:12:49we may have to turn back, but we are giving it a go.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51The ETA is about ten minutes, over.
0:12:51 > 0:12:57They know their patient needs their help, but pilot Steve Cobb must put the safety of his crew first.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01- It's definitely worse out to the west, though, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04But on the horizon, there's good news.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08The clouds are lifting and Thornton Watlass comes into view and a local groundsman
0:13:08 > 0:13:13is about to get a shock as pilot Steve heads for the village cricket pitch.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18- Just watch, he's got a rope around it, this cricket pitch.- Yeah.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24It won't take long for paramedics Tony Wilkes and Lee Davison
0:13:24 > 0:13:27to find out if their patient's having a heart attack.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32An electrocardiogram, or ECG machine, can detect even the smallest irregularity
0:13:32 > 0:13:34in someone's heartbeat.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38It's not definitive from what we've seen on his ECG that he's had a heart attack,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41but there are some anomalies that may lead us towards that.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44There's suspicions that there's something going out.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47The treatment that you get for that is time-critical,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51so if you went by land ambulance, it'd just delay that treatment.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54It takes Lee and Tony some time to convince 61-year-old Thomas Mitchell
0:13:54 > 0:13:57that he actually needs to go to hospital.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01The chest pain has subsided and he doesn't want to inconvenience the crews,
0:14:01 > 0:14:05but Lee and Tony know that Thomas needs to get checked out.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08The risk of suffering a heart attack greatly increases with age.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13We're going to load the patient, but we've got to be careful with where the ambulance pulls up.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16We don't want to be getting stuck with the ambulance next to us,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19because then we can't take off.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24A specialist cardiac team is being readied over 40 miles away at the Leeds General Infirmary.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Without Helimed 99, Thomas would be facing an hour-long journey in the back of an ambulance.
0:14:28 > 0:14:34The weather we came through is moving across from the west to the east. It's quite a low cloud base.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38We don't want to get to the situation where we're stuck and not able to get back to Leeds,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42which is the highest airport in the country. We have to be careful where we go.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47We've decided to go to Leeds and then we can get straight back to the airport afterwards.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50What's going to happen, we're going to land at Leeds.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53There's a helipad on top of the roof, which is quite interesting,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55so you'll be able to see that as we land.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00Then we're going to take you down to an angio suite, where the doctors will look at you
0:15:00 > 0:15:01and see what's been going on.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03I didn't want to waste his time.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05No, you're not wasting his time, mate.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09The problem with cardiac things, they're not always that obvious
0:15:09 > 0:15:11until you get to hospital and they do tests.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16We'd rather take somebody in and it turns out to be nothing and let you go home,
0:15:16 > 0:15:20rather than you be sat at home and it is something that needs dealing with,
0:15:20 > 0:15:21so you're not wasting his time.
0:15:21 > 0:15:27We'd only be sat watching telly, eating bacon butties anyway, so don't worry about that.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31Thomas seems to be quite relaxed and enjoying the flight,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34but his condition is about to take a sudden turn for the worse.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37You feel sick. Two seconds.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39- Lee?- Yeah?
0:15:39 > 0:15:40Significant changes now.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43- Is it?- Oh, yeah.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46OK, mate, just bare with it, a couple of minutes.
0:15:46 > 0:15:47Thomas is having a heart attack.
0:15:47 > 0:15:53He's struggling to cope with the pain and the ECG machine tells Tony all he needs to know.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Is it extending on two and three?
0:15:56 > 0:15:59- Yeah, yeah. Quite a lot.- Yeah.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04Tony used to be a cardiac nurse and has seen patients deteriorate like this before,
0:16:04 > 0:16:06but never in the back of a helicopter.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11- OK, we're showing four minutes. - Four minutes, OK.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13It's four minutes and you'll be there.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18There's little Tony can do and Lee is powerless to help from the front seat.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21You rest it on my knee, if that's going to help, OK?
0:16:21 > 0:16:23INAUDIBLE
0:16:23 > 0:16:29Thomas's heart is desperately trying to pump blood around his body, but it could fail at any moment.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Tony and Lee must now hope that that pilot Steve can get Thomas
0:16:32 > 0:16:38- to hospital before he goes into cardiac arrest.- What are you scoring your pain at, Tom?
0:16:38 > 0:16:41If it was three before, what are you saying it is now?
0:16:41 > 0:16:42What's your pain like?
0:16:42 > 0:16:44- Ten.- Has it gone right up now? OK.
0:16:44 > 0:16:51The sprawling centre of Leeds is a welcome sight for the whole crew, and when speed matters,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54the LGI's rooftop helipad comes into its own.
0:16:57 > 0:17:03Studies show that the first hour after a heart attack is vital, and thanks to Helimed 99,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07Thomas is on his way to the operating table just ten minutes after his attack started.
0:17:07 > 0:17:13If he'd stayed at home, this story could have had a very different ending.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18This is the on call team. We've got direct contact with them if we get patients that require their services.
0:17:18 > 0:17:25As we've landed on the helipad, they're waiting here, actually in the theatre, to take the patient from us.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Hopefully, he'll get sorted and he'll be feeling 100 times better.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33Modern technology means many heart conditions can now be easily treated,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35but Tony knows just how lucky Thomas has been.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38He was dropping his blood pressure quite significantly.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42That would have carried on. His pulse was continuously dropping.
0:17:42 > 0:17:47That would have carried on. Eventually, it gets to a point where you just can't sustain
0:17:47 > 0:17:49that kind of cardiac rhythm and blood pressure
0:17:49 > 0:17:52and you will go into cardiac arrest and ultimately die.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58Despite medical advances, about 20% of heart attack patients do not recover.
0:17:58 > 0:18:04Thomas undergoes surgery on his heart straight away, and just two weeks later, he's back home
0:18:04 > 0:18:07feeling better than he has done for years.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10No, I didn't realise it was a heart attack at all.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12I just thought it was to do with my arm.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17This pain in my arm was just making all my chest ache and down my leg.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19But, you know, later on, when they said
0:18:19 > 0:18:22you're actually having a heart attack,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24then it all sort of fits, really.
0:18:24 > 0:18:30So, all I was thinking about was the cost of getting this Air Ambulance out to me. I just didn't want it.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34And it wasn't because I was scared to go in it, I just thought it was going to cost too much money.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38They said to me, look, we make the decision, and our decision is
0:18:38 > 0:18:41you're going by helicopter, and that was the end of the argument, really.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46I mean, the decisions the paramedics made
0:18:46 > 0:18:49was the thing that saved my life, I think.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58Coming up, the rescue of a mechanic trapped in an inspection pit begins.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03That collar isn't on perfectly, but it's the best that we can do in the position that we're in.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06And up in the Peaks, a climber's had a nasty accident.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09A real sort of sharp pain in the middle of my spine.
0:19:13 > 0:19:19Every parent knows the importance of road safety, and when kids are young,
0:19:19 > 0:19:24it only takes one moment's lapse in concentration to cause a lifetime of regret.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29And in one village in North Yorkshire, one mum is going through that nightmare.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34Helimed 99 pilot Andy Figg carried out a tricky landing in the middle
0:19:34 > 0:19:39of a village in North Yorkshire to rescue five-year-old Emma Baines.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44She was knocked down by a car after she ran out in the road outside her home.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Now she needs emergency surgery.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Her leg is so badly broken, part of her tibia,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53the main bone in her lower leg, was found lying beside her.
0:19:53 > 0:19:59Her father, Richard, knows flying her 30 miles to the James Cook University Hospital at Middlesbrough
0:19:59 > 0:20:03is his daughter's best chance of walking normally again.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06- We have to operate on her leg and do it sort of straight away.- OK.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09So, it's about a 15-minute flight for us to get up there.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13- OK.- So, what we'll do first of all is pop her onto what we call a spine brace,
0:20:13 > 0:20:18- which is a long, hard plastic board, and we'll just fly her up to James Cook.- OK.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Emma's mum, Lindsey, is distraught.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24She'd been holding Emma's hand on the trip home from school
0:20:24 > 0:20:27when the five-year-old pulled away and ran into the road.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30All right, sunshine.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32You hold on to the bunny.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Now mother and daughter are on their way to hospital.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40- Daddy!- Daddy's here. - Daddy's here. Don't worry, sweetie.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Look at the helicopter. It's a big yellow one.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Keeping children happy when they've been seriously injured is difficult,
0:20:48 > 0:20:53but most of the paramedics are parents themselves and have a trick or two up their sleeves.
0:20:53 > 0:20:59Mummy's coming, too. Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, clunk. There we go.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01A piece of the bone,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04about that much of the bone, has shattered and come out.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07We managed to get the bone. We're gonna take that to the hospital,
0:21:07 > 0:21:12and hopefully, they can reattach the bone back to the leg and hope she'll make a good recovery.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16We're going to up to James Cook. They've got the surgical skills
0:21:16 > 0:21:19to be able to carry out that operation.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21OK, and lifting.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23- You're all clear on this side. - Thank you.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27As Helimed 99 lifts off, surgeons are already scrubbing up
0:21:27 > 0:21:31in Middlesbrough, ready to receive their young patient.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34- Yeah, just transitioning. We're just going forward.- OK.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39Half an hour ago, Emma's mum was wondering what to make her daughter for tea.
0:21:39 > 0:21:45Now she knows she must sit out a tense evening awaiting the result of a critical operation.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47You OK, Emma?
0:21:47 > 0:21:52- She's looking out the window, so that's a good sign. - This is it, on the nose.
0:21:52 > 0:21:58Someone else who won't be home for an early tea tonight is paramedic Simon.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02That's my house down there at 11 o'clock.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06- Do you want dropping off on the way home?- Yeah. - It would save you a drive!
0:22:06 > 0:22:09What the crew haven't told Lindsey is that Helimed 99
0:22:09 > 0:22:12has a technical fault that could have prevented them reaching her.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17The generator that charges the chopper's battery is malfunctioning.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21They daren't stop the engines if they're to get it back to base, where an engineer is waiting.
0:22:21 > 0:22:27We'll land on the helipad, but we're gonna keep the engines running, My colleague will come round
0:22:27 > 0:22:30and get you out and walk you away from the helicopter, and I'll bring Emma.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35So, it's just that the battery's not acting as it should do on the helicopter,
0:22:35 > 0:22:41so we don't want to end up not being able to start when we try and start up again.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46Less than 15 minutes after taking off from the bottom of her back garden,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Emma is now yards from an orthopaedic surgeon.
0:22:49 > 0:22:55Inside a drinks container, Lindsey is carrying the missing bone from Emma's leg.
0:22:55 > 0:23:01The next hour will decide whether her daughter works normally again or faces a lifetime of disability.
0:23:07 > 0:23:13Coming up, Emma reaches surgery, but there's a setback for the hospital team.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15- Are you all right? - Yeah.- Not too tight?
0:23:15 > 0:23:17- Yeah. No, it's OK.- Good.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22Meanwhile, high in the hills, mountain rescue have an outsized patient on their hands.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Let's hope they don't drop him.
0:23:29 > 0:23:36More than 200 people die in the UK every year in accidents at work, so Matthew Duffield is lucky
0:23:36 > 0:23:39he's still alive, but he still needs to be rescued
0:23:39 > 0:23:42after a nasty fall in his dad's garage.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47In a garage just a mile from the Air Ambulance HQ at Leeds Bradford Airport,
0:23:47 > 0:23:52flying paramedics Pat Greakin and Sammy Wills are about to perform a dangerous operation,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55trying to move a patient who's fallen head first
0:23:55 > 0:23:59into an MOT inspection pit that's over six feet deep.
0:23:59 > 0:24:0319-year-old Matthew Duffield works in the garage with his dad.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05He hasn't moved since he fell.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08- I'm scared of needles. - You're scared of needles, mate?
0:24:08 > 0:24:12- Yeah. - It's OK. We're not going to put a needle in you just yet, OK, lad?
0:24:12 > 0:24:13So, you can relax about that.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Needles are the least of Matthew's worries.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21It's impossible for Sammy to tell if he's damaged his neck or spine until they move him,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25and a nasty cut on his head could signify a head injury.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29That collar isn't on perfectly, but it's the best that we can do in this position.
0:24:29 > 0:24:36Sammy and Pat decide to attach straps to a rigid spinal board before lowering it into the pit.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Once they've positioned Matthew onto the board,
0:24:39 > 0:24:43and with the help of the local Fire Brigade, they're going to gently lift him out.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45It's a plan and we're going to stick to it.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Yeah, I'm just going to unwrangle his legs.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- But just don't lift, all right? - Yeah.- One, two, three, lift.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Any paramedic will tell you this is a nerve-racking operation.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Every time they move Matthew, they risk worsening any spinal injury,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02- but there's no other way to get him out.- Right, are we ready?- Yeah.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03One, two, three, lift.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Matthew appears to be pain-free, but Sammy and Pat know
0:25:08 > 0:25:12this doesn't mean their patient hasn't sustained any serious injuries.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Fractures of the spine can often need a scan before they're diagnosed.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Are we ready to move about six inches?
0:25:18 > 0:25:21- Yeah.- Are you ready, Sam? - Yeah, ready.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Ready, one, two, three, lift.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25That's it. Right.
0:25:25 > 0:25:31They've done it. Matthew's safely on the spinal board and can now be carefully lifted out of the pit,
0:25:31 > 0:25:37- where he's been lying face down for well over half an hour.- Well done, Matthew. Stay still for me.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39- My chest is fine now. - Oh, that's fantastic news.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43- It must have been where my hand was. - It must have been how you were laid.
0:25:43 > 0:25:48Immobilising a patient is rarely this tricky, but there's still one manoeuvre to do
0:25:48 > 0:25:53before Sammy and Pat can get Matthew out of his dad's garage and on his way to hospital.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58- And ready, steady, roll.- Nice one, you've played a blinder there. - Fantastic.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03Helimed 99, yeah, we'll definitely be taking Chris. If you could jack up the porters
0:26:03 > 0:26:07and just give Cobby a ring and let him know that we are taking.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11- Sam, I keep thinking this is a dream.- It's not a dream. - I know it ain't.- Are you mum?
0:26:11 > 0:26:14- Yeah.- Thanks, Mum. Yeah, I'm fine now.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19- Take a deep breath for me, Matt. Good lad. Does that hurt any?- No.- Relax.
0:26:19 > 0:26:20It must have been where my arm was.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Despite being strapped onto a spinal board,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Matthew seems pretty relaxed and unaffected by the ordeal.
0:26:27 > 0:26:33For his rescuers, it's been a gruelling operation that's taken 20 people nearly an hour to complete.
0:26:33 > 0:26:38But for pilot Steve, the hardest and most dangerous part of this mission is still to come.
0:26:38 > 0:26:44This is quite a tight landing area. It's an old quarry. There's also lots of industrial work around it,
0:26:44 > 0:26:49skip lorries, concrete work, et cetera, quite high trees and a lot of telephone lines there.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51So, it was quite a tight landing.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54We have to watch out, especially today, very windy,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57watching out of for debris coming out of skips.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59So, it's all eyes out the window for this one.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03Helimed 99 is capable of climbing at over 2,000 feet a minute,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06but this take off requires a more delicate approach.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Helimed 99, alpha.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14And thanks to Steve, in just a matter of seconds, the helicopter
0:27:14 > 0:27:18is speeding towards the Leeds General Infirmary and its rooftop helipad.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23He's been very lucky. He's put his hands out in front of him, which has managed to save his face.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28The position of where he was and his position of how he was laid, he was hurting all over.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30It was quite a challenge to assess.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34I could only hear the breath sounds, but he was saying his chest really, really hurt.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38Once we'd got him out of the pit and been able to lay him face up,
0:27:38 > 0:27:40it became quite apparent that his injuries,
0:27:40 > 0:27:44although he was complaining of pain, weren't as severe as I'd feared.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47We still brought him into resuss to get him checked out.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50I don't think he'll be in here very long and his mum and dad are on their way.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Matthew's had a remarkable escape.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57Last year, well over 100,000 people were injured while at work
0:27:57 > 0:28:04and many of these people will take weeks, months or even years to get back on their feet. But not Matthew.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08By the end of the week, he's helping his dad David to clear the backlog of MOTs,
0:28:08 > 0:28:12and he's making sure he's being a bit more careful.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15A cut across my nose and a graze on my leg,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18left leg, left elbow and my left forehead.
0:28:18 > 0:28:24- I won't be going down the pit again!- Right, Matty, waggle those wheels up and down.
0:28:24 > 0:28:25Right, and spin it, please.
0:28:25 > 0:28:31It's distressing for any boss to see an employee injured at work, and dad David is especially careful
0:28:31 > 0:28:35- when it comes to safety at the family business.- Right, thank you.
0:28:35 > 0:28:36Start it up, please.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40- But there was nothing he could do to stop Matthew falling. - Quite unbelievable.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43It looked really proper deadly serious on Monday,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46but how he's walked out of there, I don't really know.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50He must have just bounced. Luck must have been on his side that day.
0:28:53 > 0:28:59Coming up, there are extra lessons in road safety at little Emma Baines' primary school.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02ALL: If you want to cross the road...
0:29:02 > 0:29:03But will she be fit to join them?
0:29:19 > 0:29:24To land a helicopter, you need a relatively flat piece of land and down it comes.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27But when your patient's stuck over the edge of something like this,
0:29:27 > 0:29:32the Helimed team are going to need this lot's expert help.
0:29:32 > 0:29:39Mountain Rescue, a volunteer force who will turn out 365 days a year, whatever the weather.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43I'm spending the day with them at Curbar Edge in the stunning Peak District.
0:29:43 > 0:29:50It's a popular spot with climbers, and my job today, well, not so much climber, but faller.
0:29:50 > 0:29:56Right, the scenario is, I've been climbing, I've fallen, I've hit the deck hard and I've hurt myself.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00They've got to find my injuries, and let me just show you what it is.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03Don't panic, it's only a plastic fracture.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05Ow!
0:30:05 > 0:30:08So, Mountain Rescue are on their way.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12Let's see if they can diagnose my injuries.
0:30:12 > 0:30:18Well, I'm lying here, waiting to be rescued, and the weather is closing in, and it really is.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22It's cold, it's windy, it's wet and I hope they get here fast.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27- Just keep nice and still for me. - I can't, it hurts.- Just...- It hurts.
0:30:27 > 0:30:32'While I audition for a bit part in Casualty, one of my rescuers has to find the problem.'
0:30:32 > 0:30:35And how's your legs feeling? Is it any one in particular?
0:30:35 > 0:30:38..Right, I'm just going to give it a quick feel, OK?
0:30:38 > 0:30:42- 'And I'm not giving anything away.' - Everything OK there?- 'But then...'
0:30:42 > 0:30:44- Argh!- OK.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47- '..he finds my broken leg.' - All right.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50- Rav?- Yeah.- Is it your lower leg or your upper leg that's hurting?
0:30:50 > 0:30:53- No, it's the bottom. - Oh, that's got to sting.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57'This may be a practice run for them, but it's vital the team get this right.
0:30:57 > 0:31:02'After all, we're on a rock face in the Peaks, and when you fall up here, you need help.'
0:31:04 > 0:31:07Helimed 98 receiving, East Mids Control, go ahead.
0:31:07 > 0:31:12The patient is meant to be half a mile from the car park
0:31:12 > 0:31:17given that grid reference earlier on, and they are looking out for you.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23Edale Mountain Rescue are now on route, over.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27Today we've been tasked by East Midlands Air Ambulance Service
0:31:27 > 0:31:30for a walker who we believe has fallen over and hurt his back.
0:31:30 > 0:31:36The weather at the moment is looking a little bit dodgy for getting up onto the Peaks.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40Pilot Tim Taylor's job is not just flying the helicopter today,
0:31:40 > 0:31:43he has to predict what the weather's going to do, and he's concerned.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46We don't want to hang around when we get there.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49- We need to get him on board and probably come back to...- OK.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51As Helimed 98 arrives at Stanage Edge,
0:31:51 > 0:31:57the rocky outcrop where the climber has fallen, there's another problem.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01- We're just in the realms of every - BLEEP- waving at us now.- Yeah.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05There are of lots of people out today and most of them are waving at the Air Ambulance.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09The crew don't know whether it's a greeting or a signal.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12Did the Mountain Rescue say they were on scene?
0:32:12 > 0:32:15No, they were being activated.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17- There they are there. - They're waving.
0:32:17 > 0:32:22Finally, they spot the fallen climber and there's no way Tim can land here.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25It's too steep and too rocky.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27INDISTINCT CHATTER
0:32:27 > 0:32:29This side of the cabin, mate.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33You're OK left.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37- OK. I'm taken the bag with me.- All right, mate.- I'm going up there.
0:32:37 > 0:32:43Pat is going to have to get out of the helicopter as it hovers a few feet off the ground.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48All right, we need somewhere to land.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50OK, just do a left, mate, do a left.
0:32:50 > 0:32:57With Pat out and on his way to his patient, Tim heads to the bottom of the slope to land.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01Just trying to contact Pat. He's up on the ridge with the patient.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04Pat is exhausted after his steep climb.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07I'll try and get my breath back and then examine the patient.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10We're time-critical, so I'm trying to get an update
0:33:10 > 0:33:12as soon as we can off Pat
0:33:12 > 0:33:15to see what the patient's injuries are.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18- Well, then, mate. What's your name?- Tim.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21- What's happened, Tim? - I fell off this.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24Climber Tim Ewington has fallen onto his back.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28He's in pain, but he can move his hands, which is a good sign.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30Can you move all your fingers and toes?
0:33:30 > 0:33:32No pins and needles?
0:33:32 > 0:33:34No, just basically...
0:33:34 > 0:33:37a real sort of sharp pain in the middle of my spine.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41Have you got all-in-one clothing or is it trousers and top?
0:33:41 > 0:33:46- Trousers and top.- Down below, pilot Tim's problems are getting worse.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50We're running out of daylight and it's starting to get a lot colder
0:33:50 > 0:33:54so the fog's starting to form, so we're in a bit of a race
0:33:54 > 0:33:55against time at the moment.
0:33:55 > 0:34:00We've landed on Stanage Edge, the weather's a bit pants, and...
0:34:00 > 0:34:06For an update, Tim calls the pilot of the other Air Ambulance, Andy Figg.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Could you check what's happening with weather at Manchester for us, please?
0:34:09 > 0:34:14Andy's at Helimed HQ in Leeds and checks the latest weather charts on his laptop.
0:34:14 > 0:34:20Yeah, I think... I think we'll probably have to give him half an hour and then we'll have to sack it.
0:34:20 > 0:34:26Back up the hillside, a closer examination reveals that the climber could well have a spinal injury,
0:34:26 > 0:34:30but as the weather gets worse, it's looking like the Air Ambulance
0:34:30 > 0:34:34is going to have to leave their patient to the Mountain Rescue crew
0:34:34 > 0:34:36who are arriving in the car park at the valley bottom.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39And all these guys are volunteers.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43'Like anyone in the team, we get a lot out of it because of what it is.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45'We're all walkers, all climbers.'
0:34:45 > 0:34:48We've all had trips and slips,
0:34:48 > 0:34:53so it's just simply putting back into the community, really.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55Still clear left, mate. Visual with Pat.
0:34:55 > 0:35:01If Tim doesn't get away now, the helicopter is going to get stuck in the fog.
0:35:01 > 0:35:06As Mountain Rescue head up the slope to fetch the patient down and bring him to the land ambulance,
0:35:06 > 0:35:09Tim heads home, picking up paramedic Pat on the way.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Pat's in. Door's not closed yet.
0:35:12 > 0:35:18Despite the weather conditions, Mountain Rescue got their patient down and he needed their help.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21He had badly damaged his spine.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24Back at Curbar Edge in the Peak District,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27the team have splinted my leg and are getting me on the way.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30The chap's been climbing, come off the route here.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34We'll evacuate him back up to the top of the crag.
0:35:34 > 0:35:39Although this is just an exercise, you do feel very vulnerable up here.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44- Hold it at that.- UK Mountain Rescue actually began here in the Peaks 100 years ago
0:35:44 > 0:35:49when a group of local farmers got together and designed a special stretcher.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51What I'm on is the modern day version.
0:35:51 > 0:35:57It's called a Bell stretcher, and along with the people who carry it, it's a lifesaver.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01And when the call comes in for real, Mountain Rescue are there.
0:36:06 > 0:36:11Up in the Yorkshire Dales, a mountain biker has come off and broken his leg.
0:36:11 > 0:36:16Helimed 99 has been called in to help get him to hospital.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19Pilot Matt Tachin has landed at the top of a hill.
0:36:19 > 0:36:25Mountain Rescue are over the other side of the valley and the patient is a short walk away.
0:36:25 > 0:36:31I've just come down this hill, come off my bike, cracked my shin on the edge of that.
0:36:31 > 0:36:36Howard Jenkins was cycling with his friend Eamon Burke.
0:36:36 > 0:36:42We've got a 42-year-old gentleman, he's come off his mountain bike,
0:36:42 > 0:36:46he's hit a low wall with his right tib and fib, which has fractured.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49Howard's friends Eamon couldn't get a signal on his mobile
0:36:49 > 0:36:52when he first called the emergency services,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55but now he's overwhelmed by the turnout.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57Unbelievable, yeah.
0:36:57 > 0:36:58We're very proud of you all.
0:36:58 > 0:37:03It's often one extreme to another. There's either just two of us here and the pilot
0:37:03 > 0:37:05or we get a football team and its supporters,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08so, yeah, it's brilliant that we've got all these people helping us.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11It just makes the job a lot safer
0:37:11 > 0:37:14and a lot easier for us to get to the aircraft.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17This is the reason why Mountain Rescue are here.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Carrying an adult male with a badly broken leg
0:37:20 > 0:37:26up a long, steep incline requires a team of stretcher bearers, and all these people who do this
0:37:26 > 0:37:32live in the area and do it because they know one day, it may be them needing a lift.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36Everybody's a volunteer. They will have either been at work or at home doing things with the kids.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38You get disturbed by a beep, beep, beep
0:37:38 > 0:37:42and there's a message, and you then ring in to Comms and pick the job up.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45Prepare to lift. Lift.
0:37:45 > 0:37:50They're all outdoor people and they enjoy doing outdoor pursuits
0:37:50 > 0:37:52and they want to give something back.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56Howard's on his way out of the Dales and on to Harrogate Hospital.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04Back in the Peak District and the Edale Mountain Rescue are still training.
0:38:04 > 0:38:09I did some of this in the Army and I've been so impressed by their dedication to the job.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13- What sort of backgrounds are you? What do you do for a living? - I work in construction.
0:38:13 > 0:38:20We've got doctors, solicitors, a couple of lawyers, we've got a tax inspector,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22outdoor instructors. You name it,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25we've got someone from just about every profession.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27But when you come into this business,
0:38:27 > 0:38:30that gets left behind and you're here to do your specialist role.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35- It does. Obviously, we use the medical people because it would be silly not to.- Of course.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39But first and foremost, the team member's the same as everyone else
0:38:39 > 0:38:44and they all muck in and then fetch any additional skills to Mountain Rescue that they can.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47How many days do you cover a year, then?
0:38:47 > 0:38:51- We're on call 24/7, 365 days of the year, basically.- Really?- Yeah.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53- Even Christmas day? - Even Christmas day.
0:38:53 > 0:38:58We had a call out not a million miles away from here a couple of Christmas Days ago.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02Well, Ian, I think you do a really noble job and I take my hat off to you
0:39:02 > 0:39:08and thank you, even if it was just an exercise, for rescuing me and wrapping me up nice and warm.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10- Cheers, mate.- Cheers, mate.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17Now, let's catch up on the case of that little girl
0:39:17 > 0:39:20who was knocked down by a car after she ran out into the road.
0:39:23 > 0:39:28Outside her home in this sleepy village, little Emma Baines had a terrible accident.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32Her leg was shattered when she walked in front of a car,
0:39:32 > 0:39:36starting a race involving Helimed 99 and its crew to get her to vital surgery.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Her mum, Lindsey, was terrified.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45It's two months since the crash and I've come to North Yorkshire
0:39:45 > 0:39:48to see how the patient's getting on.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52- Hello. I'm Rav. What's your name?- Emma.- Hello, Emma.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55'And if a smile's a good sign, Emma's certainly on the mend.'
0:39:55 > 0:40:00Do you want to come in and talk to me? Yeah, come on, then.
0:40:00 > 0:40:05Two days afterwards in the hospital, she was sat smiling, playing, colouring in.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07Not a bruise on her body, other than her leg.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11It was just amazing. She was very, very lucky.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15'Emma's leg is now held together by an artificial bone.
0:40:15 > 0:40:20'Surgeons were unable to graft her missing bone back on to her tibia,
0:40:20 > 0:40:23'but she's recovering amazingly well.'
0:40:23 > 0:40:28- These are pins here.- Mm-hm. - They go in here.
0:40:28 > 0:40:33'Emma was in her first term at school and her classmates were so upset she hadn't made it home,
0:40:33 > 0:40:36'they've bombarded her with get well soon cards.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39'For her dad, it was a day he'll never forget.'
0:40:39 > 0:40:44You were working at home at the time, when you heard this. What must have gone through your mind?
0:40:44 > 0:40:46The scream. It's a scream I'll never forget.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49I knew it was bad, and probably within five seconds
0:40:49 > 0:40:51I rushed out the front of the house
0:40:51 > 0:40:55and, obviously, saw a scene of total devastation, you know?
0:40:55 > 0:40:58Adults and this little one screaming and...
0:40:58 > 0:41:01It's every parent's worst nightmare.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03'But nothing's going to make Lindsey feel better.
0:41:03 > 0:41:09'She'd been teaching Emma road safety for years, and in one moment, it was all forgotten.'
0:41:09 > 0:41:11Now, obviously, there's no way on earth
0:41:11 > 0:41:13this was in any way your fault,
0:41:13 > 0:41:16but do you find yourself with a sense of guilt,
0:41:16 > 0:41:19in some ways, for what happened?
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Terrible guilt, yeah. Obviously.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24She's my daughter, you don't want to see your child go through
0:41:24 > 0:41:27any pain like that, and I question myself.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30Was I concentrating? Did I hold her hand tight enough?
0:41:30 > 0:41:35And I do the Green Cross Code as I learnt it myself as a child
0:41:35 > 0:41:41and I do it every morning on the way to school and it was just another normal day,
0:41:41 > 0:41:45holding her hand as normal, and it just happened so quickly.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49'Doctors say there's a good chance Emma's leg will heal completely
0:41:49 > 0:41:53'and the next big test for her is going back to school.'
0:41:56 > 0:42:01At last, the big day arrives, and Emma's returning to the classroom she'd missed so much.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05- OK? Happy?- Thank you!
0:42:05 > 0:42:10And guess what's on the timetable today. A special lesson on road safety.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15If you want to cross the road...
0:42:15 > 0:42:17ALL: If you want to cross the road...
0:42:17 > 0:42:19..you've got to use the Green Cross Code.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23ALL: ..you've got to use the Green Cross Code.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27It's one lesson Emma won't be forgetting in a hurry, but sadly,
0:42:27 > 0:42:32she's unlikely to be the last young patient Helimed 99 is scrambled to rescue.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36When Helicopter Heroes comes back,
0:42:36 > 0:42:40there's an air crash and Helimed 99 flies to the rescue.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43- How does your breathing feel?- Hard.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46A young driver's in trouble in an upturned car.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48Please be careful. Don't let it fall.
0:42:48 > 0:42:53Please, camera, traction. A car chase ends with an injured suspect.
0:42:53 > 0:42:58He's come from that field, through this field, taking out a tree.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02And an unhappy landing for the bird-man who touched down in a tree.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:09 > 0:43:13E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk